NRC Board Approves Restructuring Plan

The board of the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) voted Wednesday to approve a plan to restructure the organization. The plan will be sent to NRC members and posted on the organization’s Web site. Members will have a week to comment on the plan after it has been posted, said Melinda Uerling, president of the board.

The final death knell for the NRC appeared to ring earlier this year when the organization announced it would be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. But the NRC Board of Directors voted unanimously in September to suspend bankruptcy filings and instead develop a reorganization plan over the following 30 days. The decision came after a petition from a group of NRC past presidents seemed to offer an alternative to oblivion.

The NRC ceased operations and terminated all staff members at the close of business on Sept. 4, shortly after an attempt by the NRC's Board of Directors to merge the organization with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) failed to receive sufficient votes from NRC members. The board had promoted the merger as a way for NRC to solve its financial woes (the organization is currently saddled with an estimated $500,000 in debt), but many members felt that KAB's corporate ties would muddy NRC's recycling-first mission.

Beginning Aug. 15, about 34,000 residents living within city limits will receive either the larger, two-wheeled cart or a 64-gallon version, depending on available outdoor space. Once the new program is launched, residents can dispose of all recyclable material at once, every other week....More